


Do It Now

by YourPowerIsLimitless



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based on a song, Developing Relationship, F/F, Korrasami - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-01 15:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5210855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourPowerIsLimitless/pseuds/YourPowerIsLimitless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You don't get to disappear for three years then act like you know what's best for me!" she yelled, her eyebrows coming together in anger.</p><p>Korra sat back, stunned by Asami's sudden outburst, and looked down. "You're right, I don't." she said softly. (My spin on Balance. Summary and rating subject to editing.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Worst Enemy

Author's Note: For those of you that don't know who Jasmine Thompson is, she's an amazing singer who has such beautiful songs. You can find her on YouTube. This story is based off of her song 'Do It Now', which I think has a fair representation of season 4 and I feel like I can make a good story out of this.

...

~Silence is my worst,

Silence is my worst, my worst enemy

All I do is just,

All I do is just revisit this memory...~

She stares at the mug of coffee on her desk, the blueprints for the new satomobile completely forgotten before her. The coffee has long since gone cold but she can't bring herself to reheat it, nor can she bring herself to return to her work.

'You're doing it again.' she thinks to herself.

This is the the millionth time in a long time that she'd zoned out in the middle of designing blueprints. It was an unhealthy habit, especially with Raiko breathing down her neck and constantly checking on her progress. But it was her only way of coming to terms with-

She stands suddenly and heads out of her office, her eyes stinging. She couldn't do this here. She couldn't do this now.

'I just need some fresh air.'

Asami makes her way down the stairs to the front of her industry building, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly through her mouth.

This has been her routine for a year and a half.

Wake up, go to work, zone out, go outside, do more work, go home, check her empty mailbox, and try not to cry herself to sleep. Then, the next day, do it all again. This has become her norm, and it seemed like the only thing she knew.

Her touch is gone. It's been gone for a while. Her blueprints lie unfinished, untouched in messy piles on her desks and she can't bring herself to straighten them. Not even on the good days, and by good she means the days where she is just barely feeling halfway decent. The days where she can get out of bed and keep the thought of the day being like all the others out of her mind.

Today wasn't that day.

Asami took another breath and leaned against the wall of her building. Has she really grown this sad? Has she really become what she swore she never would, a hollow shell of herself? And while she knew that her friends cared, and that they were hurting just as much as she was, it didn't help the fact that she had left just as Asami was discovering her newfound emotions.

"Are you sure you don't want any company?" she'd asked. "I'm happy to come with you."

She turned her down, of course, and she understood at the time why. She needed time to heal, to accept what had happened to her. Asami wanted to be there during that time.

'Korra.'

The name buzzed in her mind like angry hornets.

Her best friend, her developing crush...gone. And without saying a word to anyone for the past year. If she wants to be alone, she is definitely ensuring that it happened. Asami tries to convince herself that Korra isn't ignoring them, that she was just busy getting better. She isn't shutting them out purposely.

But after a year, what's there left to believe?

Not to mention that she hasn't replied to their many letters once. Asami hated it. Not a single 'hey', or 'how are you?' Raava forbid, right? All the time she put into writing to Korra (with barely having time to spare) and Korra couldn't show that she appreciated it. This was her frustration and bitterness coming out. Her breaks outside are her chance to let everything flow out of her so she can focus again. Like it ever worked, and it barely paid to hope.

"Are you alright, Miss Sato?"

Asami jumped at the voice, her hand flying to her chest. She turned, coming face to face with her assistant Kira. She relaxed and offered the best friendly smile she could muster.

"Yes, thank you." she said. She dropped her hand from her chest and let and uneasy breath slip past her lips. "Just taking a break, is all."

"You've been doing that a lot." Kira noted.

Asami nodded. "I know. But you would be, too, if you had Raiko breathing down your neck over finishing his office."

Kira laughed softly. "I guess you're right. But that's not why I came looking for you. You have a call on hold."

"Who from?" Asami asked, trying not to get her hopes up too soon.

"Bolin." Kira replied.

'Bo...' Asami thought, her disappointment peaking just a bit. She tried to resist the frown that tugged at the corners of her lips. "Thank you, Kira. I'll take it right away."

Kira nodded and turned to head back inside, but not before looking over her shoulder and giving and encouraging and sympathetic smile. "She'll be back, Asami." she said. "You know it."

Asami watched as Kira reentered the building and wiped at her eye with the heel of her hand. She gave an airy laugh as she looked back to the street, watching people and cars go by.

'Life didn't wait for her.' she heard in her thoughts.

Asami sighed and headed back inside, climbing the stairs back to her floor and office. She sat behind her desk and stared uneasily at the blinking red button, indicating that Bolin was waiting. She cleared her throat before letting a shaky hand pick up the receiver and putting it to her ear, pushing on the lever next to the light. The light went out.

"Hello?"

"Asami!" Bolin said, his happiness making Asami smile. "I was starting to get worried!"

"Worried? For what?" Asami questioned.

"Who knows? Maybe some other psycho maniac is trying to bankrupt you again." Bolin said.

Asami laughed at that and sat back in her chair. "I think we both know that won't happen again. How's the road treating you?"

"It's going great!" Bolin said. "We just finished reuniting three cities yesterday. Kuvira said at this rate, the Earth Kingdom will be whole again in another couple years."

'That's not her job.' "That's amazing, Bolin." Asami said, ignoring the invading thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Bolin asked and she could clearly picture the smile on his face giving way to a concerned frown.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just neck deep in work." Asami said. "Raiko is really pushy."

"I'm sure you can handle it." Bolin praised. "It's not like you let anything stop you before."

Asami smiled thankfully. "I appreciate that, Bolin. Have you spoken to your brother?"

"Yeah, but I only got a few words in. He was talking about meeting Lin for something. Can't remember what for, though." Bolin said.

"He got a new charge guarding Prince Wu." Asami said, making air quotes with her fingers when she said his name. "From what I heard, he's a real piece of work. I think Mako's supposed to be on his way back from the Earth Kingdom tomorrow with him."

"I can just imagine being stuck with the prince." Bolin said with a laugh. "How old is he?"

"I think he's sixteen." Asami said. "Too young to claim the crown, I know that much."

She heard Bolin hum thoughtfully. "Anything from Korra?" he asked, the hope in his voice making Asami's heart sink.

She frowned deeply. "No, still pure silence. I just sent her another letter a few days ago."

"So did I." Bolin said. "I hope she's doing okay."

"I do, too." 'She should've let me go with her.' "You would think she'd tell us if she wasn't."

"You know Korra doesn't like us to worry about her." Bolin said. "She thinks she's sparing us the gruesome details of her suffering."

"And, instead, we just worry more." Asami added with a bitter smile. She sniffed softly and looked at her reflection in the mirror on her desk, hoping her makeup wasn't running.

She heard an odd and low screech come from Bolin's side of the phone and a man's voice.

"Yes, sir. Be there in a sec." Bolin said to him. "Gotta go, 'Sami. We just pulled into one of the reunited cities to hand out supplies and it's my turn."

Asami laughed. "Go ahead, it was nice hearing from you."

"Same here. Bye and good luck." Bolin said.

"Same to you." Asami said.

She waited to hear Bolin click off before hanging the receiver up. She glared at it as if it had insulted her somehow, her nails tapping against the wood of her desk. She had too much on her mind to be doing this, to be feeling and acting like this.

'You can't hold anything against her.' Asami told herself. 'She's hurting, you know. It's not her fault.'

Asami recalled how she felt when her mother passed away. She was only eight at the time, but she could still remember the horrifying heat of the flames that moved about her. She remembered her father coming to her in the middle of the night and tried to calm her cries while he got her out.

~"Yasuko!" he yelled, distraught. He looked up and down the burning hallways as he ran past , still cradling Asami in his arms. "Yasuko!"

Asami sobbed and coughed violently from the smoke invading her lungs. Her throat was dry and constricting, choking her. She kept her face buried in the crook of her father's neck while he rushed down the stairs of the house calling his wife's name. Each cry was met with the cracking of fire and crashing of the foundation collapsing on itself. Hiroshi listened to his daughter coughing and gasping for breath and bared his teeth. The tears streaming down his face evaporated in the heated air. He held Asami tighter and closed his eyes.

"Forgive me, Yasuko." he said as he barreled into the front door, breaking it down.

Behind him, as he fell to his knees in the grass, he heard the rest of the house fall. Asami's coughing lightened and her eyes stung with ash. Her father sobbed Yasuko's name beneath of wailing of approaching sirens.~

Asami shuddered and bit her lip. When her mother died, she kept everyone out. Her friends at school, her father, even the therapist that she was seeing until she was ten years old. She knew, or had a good idea, how Korra felt. Asami lost her mother and Korra lost her legs.

She dragged her eyes to the mirror again. "What makes this any different?" she muttered to her reflection in the mirror. It was a similar kind of pain, right? Didn't everyone feel the same way when they lose something, someone, valuable or close to them?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

While Asami probably never would understand what it's like to lose the ability to walk, she could sympathize well enough. Not even losing her parents could compare to that. She was still going strong while Korra was trying to get back to the Avatar she was. Is.

'She's the same Avatar you knew two years ago, and she'll be that same Avatar two years from now.' Asami reminded herself.

She wanted to believe that. She did believe that.

Asami sighed and gave her attention to the abandoned blueprints waiting at the opposite end of her desk.

She wouldn't make it home on time that night.

...

~Dear Korra,

How's treatment? I hope it's going better than you expected. Katara is the best there is after all. I hope you gave Naga that belly scratch I requested.

Things here in Republic City are pretty boring. But I think I've stressed that enough, haven't I? Raiko is still breathing down my neck about the new biplanes for the United Republic Air Force. Iroh came by my office a few times to look at the designs. He really likes them, even gave a couple of suggestions. He said to make them blue and red, which I think is a nice idea.

Not sure if you've gotten anything from Mako, but he has a new job as a bodyguard for Prince Wu. He's not really thrilled about it, meaning that he has to be off the force and all. You should've seen him begging Lin to find someone else for the job. Remember how we used to joke that he'd marry his job one day? I think that's becoming a scary reality.

Anyway, tell your parents I said hello and I hope they're doing well.

-Come home, I miss you.-

-Love-

-Yours-

Sincerely, Asami~

That is the first letter she doesn't send.

...

Author's Note: Since there is no option to put a line through words, just pretend that the lines on the sides is the sentence/word being crossed out.

This is definitely going to be a feelsy story, with a lyric or stanza of lyrics for each chapter. I've been working on this first chapter for a while, so I hope you guys enjoyed it :)

And I learned how to do italics and bold! Too much work if you ask me.

Thanks for reading!


	2. What You Didn't Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Asami finally receives Korra's letter.

Hey, welcome to the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed the first one and are ready for this one! There's just gonna be a lot of angst in this story (as if that wasn't obvious enough already) with everything that's built up to the end melting into a calmness.

Also, I apologize for any time wise confusion (switching between present and past tense). I do it without realizing it.

...

~'Cause you can't take back what you didn't say

If I could do it now, do it now, I would do it now...~

Her hand is shaking. She can't stop it, either. Holding her wrist just makes her other hand shake.

'Open it, what are you waiting for?'

'For someone to tell me I'm dreaming. For someone to come and yank it out of my hands.'

Asami stares at the letter in her hands, the baby blue Southern Water Tribe seal pulsing against the white paper as if it were taunting her. Korra's scrawl is etched out on the front of it. Asami must have run her fingers over it a hundred times in the ten minutes she's had it.

Yes, she's had it for ten minutes. Don't judge her.

She doesn't know what to expect the letter to contain. Like she should worry. This letter is from her best friend. And it's been six months since she threw away that first letter she couldn't bring herself to send. Two full years without hearing from Korra, and now she's afraid to open a damn letter.

She could almost hear Korra laughing in her ears.

Asami let her hand blindly search for her letter opener on the nightstand by her bed. It feels hot in her hands. She guides the blade through the paper and tearing of it grates on her nerves. She places the letter opener beside her on the bed and takes a long, shaky breath as her fingers slide into the envelope and close on the paper inside.

Asami was afraid. It's the umpteenth time that she's been afraid in the past two years, and it always circles around to the same reason. This time, it's stronger than before. What would she read? What would she see? Would Korra say that's she's coming home, or would she say that the treatment isn't working as well as they'd hoped? That there's too much damage done to fix?

Would she be this afraid if she'd heard from Korra sooner?

Asami took the paper from the envelope, knowing that if she was a firebender she would've incinerated the letter by now. She's thankful for not being one. She unfolds it and takes a breath before beginning to read:

~Dear Asami,

I'm sorry for not writing to you sooner, but every time I tried I never knew what to say. The past two years have been the hardest of my life. Even though I can get around fine now, I still can't go into the Avatar State. I keep having visions and nightmares about Zaheer, and what happened that day. Terrible ones, you know? Katara thinks that a lot of it is in my head, so I've been meditating a lot (wouldn't Tenzin be proud), but sometimes I worry that I'll never fully recover.

Please don't tell Bolin and Mako I wrote to you and not them. I don't want to hurt their feelings, but it's easier to talk to you about these kinds of things. I don't think they'd understand.

Anyway, it's good to hear that you're doing so well. I'm sure the city appreciates what you're doing. When I come home, you can show me everything you've done. I would love to see it. Consider it me paying my debt for being gone so long, making it up to you. We can even call it a Girls Night Out. Go out for food or whatever while we're at it. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom's cooking but I kinda miss Republic City cuisine.

Mom and Dad are doing fine, they say hi. Oh, and Naga really appreciated that belly scratch you asked me to give her. As soon as she heard your name she got all excited. I wouldn't be surprised if she misses you as much as I do.

Sincerely, Korra~

Asami doesn't bother to stop the tears that build and fall within a few seconds. She reads through the letter twice more, upset with the point that Korra left it on but satisfied that she finally wrote to her. Her eyes trail along the paragraph about her and her heart skips a beat. She runs her finger under each sentence to make sure she read it right.

'Is she asking me out?' Asami questions and her eyebrows lower in confusion. 'Stop, you're looking too deep into this.'

She grabbed a tissue from her nightstand and wiped her eyes, sniffing once and smiling to herself. Regardless of what Korra meant by what she said, it was nice to think that they could have a night on the town with Asami showing Korra all the improvements she's made to the city in her absence.

Thinking of improvements, Asami stands and goes to her window. She scans the city and her eyes come to rest on the park a ways over from her home. Her mind kicks into gear at the sight of the large empty grass area by the bridge in the center, in front of it a perfect opening in the sidewalk. Scales and numbers possess her and she grins excitedly.

Asami neatly returns the letter to its envelope and grabs the sketchpad she keeps nearby (just in case) and a pencil. She spends the next couple of hours sitting, standing at the window, all the while stealing glances at the scene before her as her newest plan is laid out on paper.

...

It's finished. It took over a month, but it's finished. Asami takes a step back and shields her eyes from the remaining sunlight to admire her latest work. She sighs in relief and smiles warmly.

'She'll love it.'

Asami knew it would be one of her greatest challenges to capture Korra's likeness in a giant, stone replica of her but the result and risks were worth it. She pulled it off. Now, Korra towered over the park looking of into the distance, her expression determined and strong. It almost feels like she's home again, albeit as a twenty foot tall (give or take a few feet) statue.

It took a week of convincing, but Asami managed to get President Raiko to rename Republic City Park in Korra's honor, now known as Avatar Korra Park. Raiko didn't think it was a good idea since it was where Korra made her first (bad) impression as the Avatar when she arrived but Asami knew it was the perfect place.

She stays to watch the construction workers she hired pack up their tools and take down the walkways from around the statue, placing them on a flatbed. She hands the check to the head worker, earning a tip of his hardhat and a smile before they all get into their vehicles and drove away. Asami then turns her attention back to Korra and steps up to it, looking at the words engraved on the plaque placed on the very front.

~Avatar Korra

Friend to many, Avatar to all ~

She laughs softly to herself and lays a hand on the edge of it. "I miss you..." she whispers, and her eyes sting. She looks up at the statue's face and smiles a little. "Come home to me soon, okay?"

It's silence doesn't do much to help ease her pain, but it makes her laugh as she walks to her car and returns home for the night.

...


	3. Promises You Never Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Korra's supposed to come home.

Author's Note: I think I can have Korra home later in this chapter or the next one. If I run out of lyrics from the song, I'll either find another one or continue without. I have over 500 songs on my phone so I doubt it'll be that hard to find a replacement.

Also, this is year three. I'm definitely gonna try to have Korra home in the next chapter.

...

~'Cause you can't break promises you never made

If I could do it now, do it now, I would do it now...~

She doesn't want to do this. She really 'really' doesn't want to.

But this needs to end.

Asami glares uneasily at the stack of letters in front of her, a red string in hand to tie them together. She received another one earlier this morning and that was the last straw. Her father had no right to contact her after everything he'd done to her, her friends. He was willing to hurt, if not kill, his own daughter just so a power-crazed hypocritic maniac could wipe out the entire bending civilization.

Daddy dearest had some real issues.

She grabs the stack of letters and ties the string around them tightly. She huffs, annoyed, and stands from her bed to go to her window, looking at Korra's statue in the distance. Asami frowns deeply.

'What do I do?'

She looks down at the envelopes as she cradles them to her chest, ultimately regretting the fact that she chose to go and face her father in an hour's time. She knew she didn't have the mental strength to do this, but she also didn't know how much longer she could take it. Though she didn't read the letters (the red seal still intact was evidence of that), she knew what was written on them. Apologies, questions about how she and possibly everyone else was doing, etc. etc.

She didn't want that from him.

Asami set the letters down on her desk and headed to her bathroom to shower and get ready.

...

It was a mistake. She knew she shouldn't of gone to see him. She did all but run from the jailhouse, struggling to keep her composure until she reached the safe and secure walls of her home. Tears sting at the corners of her eyes and she sniffs, getting into her car hurriedly and putting the key in the ignition. She puts on her seatbelt and takes off.

Normally, the wind whipping at her hair and brushing against her face would calm her down and she would slip into a state of bliss but, this time, the stress eating at her nerves kept her worries and regrets at the forefront of her mind. She'd been managing to hold it off for the past few years, but visiting her dad allowed it to catch up with her. The stress felt like acid melting her down little by little, with the pain increasing each inch it took. She could feel it creeping from her fingers up her arms, down her spine, and so on.

'I need a drink.'

At the next light, she makes a left turn. After that it's a straightaway to her destination, The Drunken Spirit. She turned into the parking lot and parked the car, getting out and walking inside. Upon entrance, she receives a few odd glances her way but she ignores them and continues to the bar. She takes a seat at one of the stools and the bartender approaches her. He eyes her up down and gives a slight nod.

"Anything I can do for you, Miss Sato?" he says respectfully.

"Fire Nation Whiskey, bit of vodka." she says, eyeing the counter.

He nods and goes to retrieve the bottles and a glass. He mixes the drinks together as requested and places the glass in front of her. "Long day, huh?"

Asami picks up the cup and glares at the liquid, frowning. Her voice is low, resentful, when she says, "You have no idea." And she drinks.

...

She stays at the bar for a while, on occasion asking for a refill. Her portions grow smaller and smaller, as she doesn't want to get too drunk, but she wants to at least allow the substance the mute the invading thoughts tearing at her. To numb her tired body. She turns her back to the counter and watches as people come and go, whether it be to leave the bar or sneak off the bathrooms with a partner. She grimaces and looks down at the cup in her hand before placing it on the counter.

'I fucking hate this.'

She reaches slowly into her pocket and her fingers graze the edge of a paper. She bites her lip and pulls it out, bringing it to her lap in front of her. Her hands shake only a little, and she can't tell if it's because of the alcohol or Korra's letter in her hands. She suppresses a sob and her grip tightens on the letter, crinkling the sides.

'I wish you were here.'

"Asami!"

The call of relief makes her lift her head and her blurry eyes scan the crowd. She spots no one other than Mako, shoving his way through the crowd to her. Hurriedly she stuffs the letter back in her pocket just before he reaches her.

"What are you doing here?" Asami asks, turning away.

"Opal was doing her overhead patrol and saw your car in the parking lot." Mako says. "She wanted to come get you herself, but since she's underage they won't let her in. So she came and got me instead." He leans over to catch her eyes. "Why are you here?"

Asami shrugs. "I don't know, wanted some time to myself."

Mako frowns heavily. "Asami, you and I both know this isn't you."

"Shouldn't you be guarding the prince?" Asami says bitterly.

"I left Wu with Lin so I could come find you." Mako says. "You know it's not safe for him to be out in public like that, especially in a place like this. It was all in the timing that Opal came to find me when she did, because I was looking for you anyway."

"For what?" Asami says and looks at him.

"Tenzin got a call from the Southern Water Tribe saying that the chief's boat will be arriving at Republic City in a couple days." Mako says, and smiles as Asami's change in character.

"The chief's boat?" Asami says as she stands from the stool. Her head throbs and the floor spins beneath her, so she grabs onto Mako to stay up on her feet. "Korra's coming home?"

Mako nods and his smile turns into a laugh that blends with hers. Asami pulls Mako in for a hug and he places an arm around her before stepping back.

"C'mon, Pema said you can stay at Temple." Mako says. "She figures that you've been lonely at the estate and knows that you'd like to be there when Korra arrives."

Asami nods briefly. "That sounds nice." she says.

"I'll drive you to your home so you can get cleaned up, then I'll bring you to the Temple." Mako says.

He keeps his arms around her protectively as he leads her away from the bar and out the front door to her car. He seats her in the passenger seat and she hands him the keys when he gets in the driver side. Asami leans against the door, smiling to herself. Korra will be home. After three years, she'll be back in Republic City.

'Team Avatar back together after all these years.'

It feels too much like a dream.

...

Two days later, Asami is seated with the Airbender kids at a table at the temple. Raiko, his wife, and Wu are across the room, talking laughing with each other. It was a group decision to have a dinner in honor of Korra's return to the city. Last second preparations are being done, a few acolytes still setting the tables and dinnerware. Mako and Lin are talking by the door, Tenzin and Pema standing by Asami.

"When Korra gets here, I bet she not even going to know who I am!" Meelo declares, making Asami laugh.

"And why is that, Meelo?" Ikki says indifferently.

"Because Meelo the boy has become Meelo the man!" Meelo says and strikes a tough guy pose.

Ikki rolls her eyes. "Right, because you're so unrecognizable." She runs a hand against Meelo's head. "The most you did was grow hair."

"But I didn't have any last time Korra saw me." Meelo points out.

Just as Ikki starts to argue again, an air acolyte rushes into the room and points down the hall. "There's a Southern Water Tribe ship pulling up to the docks!"

"Korra!" The kids chorus and get to their feet, heading for the door.

Asami stands, a wide grin gracing her lips. Her heart is skipping in her chest as the very thought that she'll be able to feel Korra in her arms like she did what seemed so long ago. Her feet move on their own accord, following her friend's outside to the docks just in time to see the ship halt.

'This is it.'

The platform drops a few seconds later and Tonraq descends it, smiling at the group standing in wait. Asami wonders why he's coming down alone, but it occurs to her that Korra may sill be getting ready. Knowing her, she probably woke up late and was hurrying to get dressed. Tonraq walks up to Tenzin and shakes his hand.

"Tonraq. It's good to have you back in the city. And everyone is excited to see the Avatar again." Tenzin says.

Tonraq's smile falls and he looks at Tenzin surprised. "What do you mean? Isn't Korra already here?"

"No, we thought she was coming with you." Tenzin says.

"Korra left the South Pole six months ago. She's written me letters." Tonraq says. "She said she was here in Republic City."

"I assure you, your daughter is not here." Tenzin says regretfully.

And Tonraq's next words cause Asami's heart to stop entirely.

"Then where is she?"

...

Author's Note: So, the lyrics in this chapter are to say that Korra never promised that she'd be home any time soon and that she said nothing about it at all. Which consult for Asami's hurt and confused emotions to come pouring out. But, on the bright side, Korrasami reunion (hopefully) in the next chapter!

Thanks for reading, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!


	4. Carry On Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Korra is ready to give up.

Author's Note: Reunion time! Get your tissues ready, haha. I'm just kidding.

Or am I?

And this chapter will be a look into Korra's mentality just before and during when the Airbender kids find her. I might be skipping over where Korra and Kuvira face off in Zaofu and go straight to when they bring her back to Republic City. And most of Korra with Toph.

...

~Put your best suit on and carry on now...

What was she doing? What was she 'thinking'?

What would her friends say if they saw her now?

Korra sighs and puts her face in her bruised hands. Her eye throbs painfully and it's shaded a terrible bluish purple color. She winces upon touching it and drops her left hand, glaring at her swollen knuckles.

'This is a mess.'

What would her friends and family say if they knew that she had been spending the past six months going from cage match to cage match to earn money? To run from her inner demon that lurked about at every single corner? They'd ask why she didn't come to them. They'd ask if she'd lost her mind.

And Asami would probably cuss her out. Not that she could blame her.

How could Korra just tell her that it's easier to talk to her and not tell her the biggest problem she was facing? Just disappear like that letter she sent meant nothing to either of them? Korra sighs and grabbed the gym back she's been carrying around with her and stands from the bench. She glances down into the ring and she becomes hyper aware of her injuries. She didn't win this match, or the one before it. Or the one before that.

She didn't win any of them. Six months worth of cage matches and every single one of them lost.

Tears build up in her eyes and she tries to convince herself it's from the pain of her injuries, though she knows deep down that's not true. She figures she should go back to the tiny inn she's staying in and clean up, since she'll be gone come sunrise. Might as well make the most of her last night.

She exits the arena and casts her head down. What kind of life was she suddenly living where her identity was reduced to a shadow at her heels? A ghost's name? She clenches her teeth as she starts to cross a street, not a second too late before she saw headlights coming up on her and heard a horn blaring. She looked up, frightened, and jumped out of the way, hitting the ground hard. Searing sharp pain rattles through her and she coughs heavily as the tears fall.

'You have nothing left, go home.'

'I don't want to go home.'

She picks her head up before getting to her feet. She wipes her eyes with her arm, skimming her eye. She drops her arm then as she sees something appear in her peripheral vision. A cold shudder possesses her and she flexes her hand.

'Not you, not now.'

Kota slowly raises her eyes to the shadow-fallen alleyway and her worst fears are confirmed when she sees the bright white glowing eyes of her former self. She takes a hesitant step back. "You..." she mumbles and she knows for sure then that she's insane. She's speaking to an apparition for Raava's sake!

Her eyebrows furrow together in anger and frustration. "Get out of here!" she demands her phantom. "Leave me alone!"

As always, it says nothing. It moves its arm back and whips the chain forward in her direction. Korra locks herself in place and raises a wall of rock in front of her. There's a beat of silence as the end of the chain scarcely misses Korra's nose and she watches in horror as the chain wraps around the wall and crushes it instantly. Panicked, Korra turns on her heel and starts to run.

'How can you run from yourself?'

'That's not me!'

She can't help but cry now as she hears the chain slinking against the ground behind her. She pushes herself to run faster, tuning out the protest in her limbs. She hears something cut the air and the chain wraps around her ankle, yanking back harshly. Her leg is taken from beneath her and she hits the ground for the second time that night. Her breath is knocked from her lungs and she gasps, curling up and wrapping her arms around her stomach.

'What better way to go than by the hands of your own demon?'

'Please! Let me go!'

Through the blood rushing in her ears she picks up the sound of her phantom closing in on her. She has no fight left in her body, she has no more drive. It's over, she knows. Too bad she never gave her friends and family an official goodbye.

It's in that moment as she's giving up that she hears a new sound, a dog barking. She opens her eyes a slit and turns her head to find a small white puppy running up to her, barking fiercely. It stands between her and her phantom. It growls and barks again, with Korra picking up the threat in the nose. There's a gust of wind and the chain is gone from her ankle. Slowly, she turns over on her back and stares up at the night sky. The dog came around and up to her head and she looked at it.

"You can see her, too?" she whispered.

The dog whineds and paws at her cheek. Korra smiles a bit and sits up. She reaches out to pet the dog but it steps away. It barks again and looks up the road. Korra follows his gaze, raising an eyebrow as she stands. "You want me to follow you?"

As if answering her, the dog takes off running up the road. Korra contemplates this for a second, now I'm sure I'm insane. I'm gonna follow a dog. "Okay, let's see where you take me." she says as she gives chase.

...

Korra wakes up in more pain than she'd passed out in. She groans and her head lolls to the side. She vaguely remembers her showdown with her Avatar spirit earlier and winces inwardly.

'Note to self, don't follow strange dogs.' she thinks, recalling how the dog wasn't even a dog at all but a spirit she'd met at the Tree of Time. She sits up slowly and her head swims. She feels the urge to vomit swell in her stomach and she curls her hand in a tight fist, fighting it. It's then that she hears the sloshing of liquid and raises her head.

"Feeling better?" a female voice says, which Korra follows to its source. A stout woman standing at a pot hanging over a fire.

"Where am I?" Korra asks, her voice hoarse. "Where... where am I?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." the woman replies. "I found you passed out in the mud."

"How did you know I was out there?" Korra says.

"I'm pretty tapped into the goings-on around here. What brings you to the swamp anyway?"

"A spirit led me here and told me I'm supposed to meet someone here." Korra says. She pauses, thinking. "Is that you?"

"Beats me." the woman says with a shrug. "But if your Avatar senses led you here, you should probably listen to them."

Korra's ears perked up at the word 'Avatar'. "You... you recognize me?"

"In a manner of speaking. We were good friends in your past life."

Korra raises an eyebrow and gets to her feet, slowly approaching the woman as she bends a small flame in her hand. The woman turns around and Korra's eyes widen at the sight of her familiar filmy eyes. "I don't believe it... Toph?"

"Nice to see you again, Twinkle Toes." Toph greets, smiling.

~fast forward a bit~

They'd found her. After three years, someone had found her. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo are the ones who are granted the honor of locating Korra. And they are honored with witnessing Korra remove the last of the poison from within her, which Toph seals securely in a hollow rock.

Unfortunately, they and Opal saw her fall when it came to facing off with Kuvira and saving Opal's family. If it hadn't of been for Opal and Jinora, she doesn't know what state she'd be in now.

But now... Now she's on her way home. Back to Republic City. Where she'll see all of her friends again. Her happiness fades to worry when she thinks about how they'll react. Especially Asami. Her reaction was the one she cared about the most. After all, she'd only written to her once before going dead silent again.

A hand on her shoulder brings her from her inner turmoil, and she looks up to find that the hand belongs to Jinora. Jinora offers her a friendly smile which Korra returns halfheartedly. To know that the kids aren't mad at her for leaving lightens her heart enough.

~and once more~

'Okay, Korra. She's right there. Just go and hope for the best.'

'What do I even say? "Hey, sorry about ignoring your letters for two years and only sending back one? But I'm back now so it's okay?"'

It is most definitely not okay.

Korra stands around the corner up the hall from Asami, who sits in the waiting area. Korra noticed almost immediately when she arrived that she's alone, no one else in sight. When Tenzin told her that they were waiting for her at this restaurant, she literally expected to find them all together, not her all alone.

'Get it together Korra. It's just Asami. You can do this.'

'I am so dead.'

She takes a deep breath and takes one last look at her choice of clothes. It felt weird to be back in Water Tribe styled clothing, trading it in for her Earth Kingdom garb. Still, she was that much closer to feeling like herself again. Looking like herself again. Well, except for her hair.

Korra steps out from behind the wall and walks up to Asami, her heart threatening to cause a scene and explode from her chest. She opens her mouth and-

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

'That's the best you could do? Three years and that's the first thing you say?'

Much to her surprise Asami looks up at the sound of her voice and smiles, immediately putting the magazine down that she was looking at and standing. Her arms are open, welcoming Korra into them. Korra smiles and opens her arms in return. Her heart skips when she officially locks gazes with the emerald orbs that she didn't realize she missed so much until now.

"Only three years." Asami says as they make contact.

Korra buries her face in Asami's shoulder and takes a deep breath in. The smell of Asami's soap flows into her nostrils and her fingers curl against the heiress' back tighter as tears gather beneath her eyelids.

'I'm home.'

...

Author's Note: Aaah, that feels so much better. Though, don't get used to it. There are still more lyrics, which means more story so stay tuned! Same Bat-time, same bat-channel!

Thanks for reading!


	5. Author's Note: Posted by a Friend

Hello readers of YourPowerIsLimitless.

First off, I am not her. I am a friend of hers. She requested that I let you guys in on what's going on with her. It took her a while to decide on whether or not to have someone update her readers. Don't worry, she's just fine now, but a lot happened at once for her and she couldn't handle it so it got the best of her. It's not my place to inform you on what happened with her, but I can assure you it's not life threatening and she's okay. She hopes to return soon to writing, and until then I will be publishing what she's written for her.

She thanks you for your patience and apologizes for her disappearance.


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